Buffzone

Colorado football: Iverson perfected his craft

Long snapper hoping for chance in NFL

Ryan Iverson made just one bad snap in those 428 opportunities during his four years at Colorado. (Cliff Grassmick / Daily Camera)

Ryan Iverson has played in every game for the Colorado football team over the past four seasons and rarely saw his name in the newspaper or heard it spoken on television highlights.

For most players, that would be a huge negative, but it's just about perfect from Iverson's perspective.

He's a long snapper. He happily toils in obscurity. If he is being interviewed after a game, it's generally because something went wrong. He has done very few interviews.

Iverson's CU career ended last fall in coach Mike MacIntyre's first season as coach. Iverson made 18 tackles over the course of his career covering punts, setting a new school record for career tackles by a snapper.

He handled 288 punts snaps in his career and 140 snaps on field goals and extra points. He made just one bad snap in those 428 opportunities. It's the kind of track record he hopes will earn him a look from NFL teams in the coming weeks and months.

The NFL Draft is next week and Iverson and every other longsnapper in the nation know it's extremely unlikely they will be selected. The last pure long snapper to be drafted was Tyler Schmitt who was taken by Seattle with the 23rd pick in the 6th round (189 overall) in the 2008 NFL Draft from San Diego State.

"There is 32 spots and it's limited and there is no backup long snapper," Iverson said. "So it's kind of all about timing and your obvious skills. We'll see what happens. Free agency hopefully."

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Iverson didn't really take long snapping seriously until his junior year in high school. He worked with a professional instructor and earned a walk-on opportunity with the Buffs. After one semester of his freshman season, he earned a scholarship.

Iverson periodically worked with the man he replaced at CU. Justin Drescher handled long snapping duties for the Buffs for four seasons and it led to a job in the NFL snapping for the New Orleans Saints. Drescher has continued advising Iverson this winter and spring as he prepares for his opportunity at the pro level.

MacIntyre spent five seasons in the NFL as an assistant coach for the Dallas Cowboys and New York Jets and knows a thing or two about what NFL coaches look for in a long snapper.

"No. 1, they're looking for accuracy all the time," MacIntyre said. "They're also looking for them to have an ability to block a little bit because it's a different type of format than you have in college. In college, you can release right now. In the pros, you've got to block. He's a good enough athlete to do that.

"The other thing they will look for is a guy who does have some recoverability, and he has that."

One thing that might be working against Iverson is the fact he doesn't play another position. MacIntyre said most NFL teams carry long snappers who can serve as a backup or third option at a different position, usually tight end. He is also a little undersized at 5-foot-11, 240 pounds.

At CU's pro timing day back in March, Iverson said he thought he did everything scouts asked him to do well and he snapped 'great.' He led all nine former Buffs who worked out that day in the bench press, doing 225 pounds 27 times. He broad jumped further than former CU linebackers Derrick Webb and Doug Rippy, covering 9 feet, 6 inches and he outran them in the 40-yard dash, clocking a 4.72.

"I feel great," Iverson said. "I feel like I was a little undersized after my senior year, but I have been working my butt off and put on some weight. If those were any questions or hiccups that scouts had, I don't think they have those anymore and my snapping ability speaks for itself after four years at Colorado. So hopefully I get a shot."

MacIntyre said Iverson is as consistent and any snapper he's ever been around. He said if Iverson doesn't make it with the first team he ends up with, he will likely get second and third opportunities as long as he continues to stay in shape and hone his skills. MacIntyre said sometimes the difference between a tryout and a 10-year career is being prepared when the opportunity comes.

Iverson understands what he is up against.

"Coaches got more things to worry about than the snap getting back there," he said. "That's one thing they don't want to worry about. So it's all about consistency. Speed matters a little bit, but as long as you're accurate and you can block, that's the most important thing."

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